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Hum 6,378

Her brother's dying wish led Deb Papes-Stanzak to launch a business steeped in service to her family and thousands of others. There is such a need for the product she provides, the first shipment sold out almost immediately.

While undergoing dialysis, Ron Papes complained of being cold because of the short-sleeve shirts he wore to accommodate his treatment port. Blankets to stay warm proved to be a hassle and traditional hospital gowns were unflattering.

So his sister used her experience as a seamstress and retail sales professional to design a jacket with a dual-tab zipper in the arm to allow easy and direct access to the port, while maintaining warmth throughout the upper body.

"I came in the next day and he said, 'You're going to be a millionaire,'" recalls Papes-Stanzak in My Family Business. "'Everyone wants one of these. How can you make more? The nurses love it, too.'"

Papes-Stanzak launched RonWear in 2009 to manufacture treatment wear, including coordinating jackets and pants for men and women undergoing dialysis and chemotherapy. For them, warmth and comfort should be a given, but unfortunately they're not. RonWear fills that gap.

"It's a stylish faux jogging suit that has enclosed zippers where the ports are and that enables people to look normal and feel warm and comfortable in treatment."